Murders Up, Overall Crime Down in Providence

Providence Police say crime in the city fell four percent last year. The news comes as detectives investigate the capital city’s first murder of the year. Twenty-year-old Wesley Smith was gunned down Wednesday night on Dudley Street in south Providence.

Providence police say although there were five more murders, overall crime dropped by 4 percent in 2012.

Credit Flo Jonic / RIPR

Both burglaries and robberies fell by double digits, continuing a 20-year trend.

There were five more murders last year than there were in 2011. But Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare says even the higher number is consistent with the city’s 20 year average of 20 murders per year.

“There’s no way of predicting homicide spikes but you have to keep it in its context,” says Pare. “One homicide is too many but look at the past 20 years and we haven’t had a huge uptick in homicides.”

Pare says Providence crime data compares favorably to other New England cities. He proclaimed the city safe.

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